Recently, ‘Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2023’ and ‘Levels & Trends in Child Mortality 2024’ reports released by UN Inter-agency groups, highlighted the global trends in maternal and child mortality rates.
Key Achievements of India
- Decline in Zero-Dose Children: Zero-dose children are those who did not receive their first dose of DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) vaccine.
- Reduced from 0.11% (2023) to 0.06% (2024) of the total population.
- Reduction in Maternal & Child Mortality:
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): 86% decline (vs. global 48% reduction since 1990).
- MMR: Number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100 000 live births during the same time period.
- Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR): 78% decline (vs. global 61%).
- U5MR: Number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000 live births.
- Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR): 70% decline (vs. global 54%).
- NMR: Number of neonatal deaths that from birth to 29 days per 1,000 live births.
- Polio-Free Status: Maintained since 2014 through National Immunization Days (NIDs).
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): 86% decline (vs. global 48% reduction since 1990).
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) Achievements
- Reach: Provides free vaccination services annually to 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants (0–1 year).
- Vaccines: Now includes 12 vaccine-preventable diseases (up from 6 in 2013).
- New Vaccines Introduced (2014 onwards): Inactivated Polio Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Measles-Rubella Vaccine, Adult Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine.